


So Everything's Gone To Hell

by Awesome_Sauce432



Category: A Crown of Candy - Fandom, Dimension 20 (Web Series)
Genre: Also Your Kids Might Be Dead, Caramelinda Frantically Trying To Do Damage Control, Gen, Political Alliances, Post-Episode 5, So Your Country Is Suddenly A Rogue State And You're Not Queen Any More, Team Up Let's Go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24064837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awesome_Sauce432/pseuds/Awesome_Sauce432
Summary: “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” A guard ran up to Caramelinda, a scroll clutched in one hand as he reached her, panting heavily.“What’s going on?” Caramelinda frowned.“Something’s gone terribly wrong in Comida!” The guard said, pushing the scroll towards her. The blood draining from her face, Caramelinda took it, trying to guess which of her family had done something ill-advised this time.--------------Everything has gone momentously wrong. Caramelinda does what she must to try and set Candia up for something besides invasion and ruin.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 50





	So Everything's Gone To Hell

“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” A guard ran up to Caramelinda, a scroll clutched in one hand as he reached her, panting heavily. 

“What’s going on?” Caramelinda frowned.

“Something’s gone terribly wrong in Comida!” The guard said, pushing the scroll towards her. The blood draining from her face, Caramelinda took it, trying to guess which of her family had done something ill-advised this time. 

She read it in silence, the council she had been holding all waiting patiently, muttering to each other. 

“This is a trick.” Caramelinda looked up from the scroll, staring at the guard, who frantically shook his head.

“It’s real! We just heard about it!” 

“Has something happened?” One of the councillors asked, and Caramelinda looked at him for a moment before looking back down at the scroll, reading and rereading every single word, trying to find a single explanation for the utter  _ horror  _ on the page in front of her. 

Amethar… what did you  _ do? _

“Where are they all now?” Ignoring the councillors, Caramelinda turned back to the guard. “Are they in custody? Are my daughters harmed?” 

“We don’t know!” The guard exclaimed. “That’s the only official announcement we’ve heard… but there are rumours-” 

“This council is adjourned.” Caramelinda stood up, the bewildered councillors staring at her. “You are all dismissed immediately.” 

“Your Majesty, we simply must-”

“You are dismissed, I will call for you again shortly.” She repeated, waving a hand towards the door, not dropping it until all of them had left the room, leaving just her and the guard that had delivered the scroll. 

Caramelinda dropped the scroll onto the table she had been sitting at, stepping away and walking towards the window. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, even though her fingers were trembling. 

“Has Duke Jawbreaker heard the news yet?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” The guard said. “If he hasn’t yet, he probably will soon.” 

And as soon as he did, there was no question in Caramelinda’s mind as to what he would do first. 

“Alert every guard, call for every official. Close the borders except for Candian citizens reentering the country, and make sure we know the location of every single foreign diplomat and high-ranking member of the Bulbian Church. No harm is to come to any of them. Send for Sir Maillard and Sir Toby to meet with me as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The guard said, saluting her.

Once she was alone, Caramelinda exhaled a long, shuddering breath, walking back over to the scroll on the table and reading it once more. Then again. And again. Over and over until the first people she had called for began to arrive.

* * *

The door to the throne room crashed open, hitting pillars with a sickening thud. Caramelinda did not flinch, simply standing up from her throne (still  _ her  _ throne) as Joren Jawbreaker strode inside, his sons flanking him on either side. 

He strode almost all the way up to the throne unimpeded. “You know why I’m here.” His voice was low and serious. “I’m sure you’re not stupid enough to stand in my way.” 

“I’m not,” Caramelinda spoke through gritted teeth. “And I hope  _ you’re  _ not stupid enough to not listen to what I have to say.” 

Joren tilted his head up slightly to look down at her, and one of his sons — Trivel, third-born, not the brightest. — took the opportunity to trash-talk. “Why would we want to listen to a false queen?” 

“Because regardless of my current standings in the eyes of you, Candia, and the Concord,  _ I  _ have been Queen of this country for nearly two decades, and if you do not tread carefully we will  _ all  _ be invaded and killed.” 

“And what gives you the belief that you know more about operating in wartime than me?” Joren asked.

“I have never declared such a thing.” Caramelinda took a step towards them, keeping her back perfectly straight and her head held high. “I have the utmost respect for your proficiency in battle, and I make no claim to being better at it. But what I am skilled at is diplomacy. Politics. This is not the Ravening War restarted, this is every other nation of the Concord against us alone. If we rely on military strength, we will be crushed.” 

Caramelinda put her hands behind her back, staring Joren in the eyes. “I ordered my guards to allow you free passage here, with no resistance at any point, because we no longer have the luxury of indulging rebellions. The Bulbian Church has declared you rightful King, and no matter whether I or the rest of Candia agree, your skills and strategy will be essential in our survival.” 

“And you want a seat at the table.” Joren scowled. “So that if Amethar comes back you can try to get right back to where you were.”

Behind her back, Caramelinda curled her hands into fists. “I don’t know where Amethar or my daughters are. I don’t know if they are alive, or captured, or dead. Do you know where your son is?”

“My son was supposed to be  _ safe _ with your people.” Joren glowered, stepping forward until he was only inches away, casting Caramelinda in shadow, but she refused to cower. “And you sent him into the heart of the enemy and let him be tried for witchcraft!”

“If your son performed magic where others could see, I am certain they tried their best to protect him. But we do not have time to argue about it because all of them could be  _ dead  _ at this very moment while the Imperial armies march to our doorstep!” 

She stepped to the side, walking away with her back turned, almost daring him to plunge his sword into it. “If we make a mistake now, all of Candia will fall to the Concord. And I know that is the last thing you want to happen, Joren.” 

There was a dark chuckle behind her. “You’re not fuckin wrong about that.”

Caramelinda turned, facing him again. “And that is why you will need my help. You can lead the armies, you can formulate brilliant battle strategies, you can slaughter a hundred soldiers by yourself, but it will mean nothing if the people are not organised, if there is no plan or structure beyond winning the next fight. Whether I am Queen or not, I still know how to keep a kingdom functioning.” 

Her stomach twisted even as she said it, the power and drive that she had dedicated all these years to snapped away in a single instant. But now was not the time to fall to despair, to leave in petty anger. Now was not the time to dwell on Amethar, on how his single mistake had brought everything crashing down around them. Now was not the time to think about her daughters trapped in hostile territory, with only a handful of people, however dedicated, however powerful, on their side. 

“Hmm.” Joren scratched his chin. “Alright, Duchess, you’ve got yourself a deal. For now.” 

Caramelinda tried not to let the ‘Duchess’ title sting. Now was not the time for self-pity. Now was the time for action, for strength. She could not allow herself and her country to lose anything else. 

**Author's Note:**

> i just think joren and caramelinda should team up! u kno... to keep the whole country from dying


End file.
